Category Archives: Upper School

Family Science Night always delivers an evening of brainy fun and this year’s event continued that tradition as students got to walk through a cell, discover fake fossils and go for glory in the Egg Drop. Dean of Curriculum and FSN creator Laura Trout said this would be the last year for Egg Drop, which had become a staple of the event. “We have two years to come up with a replacement. That should be enough time for us to think of something good.” Trout said. “And in the meantime, the Egg Drop Machine is for sale.” Enjoy the pics!

The students and faculty at Lancaster Country Day are thankful for myriad things, as you’ll soon see, and we at Cougar News are thankful to be able to bring you a heartwarming video in this season of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving.

“I love him,” Wolanin swooned. “In undergrad I first fell in love with him and I saw ‘The Imaginary Invalid’ and ‘The Misanthrope’ and, of course, ‘Tartuffe.’ ‘Tartuffe’ is my favorite. It’s just…”

With that, Director Kristin Wolanin trailed off in smiling reverie. The “him” she fell in love with is Molière, one of the French language’s greatest playwrights, whose comedies have remained popular since the 17th century and continue to grace stages around the world.

The curtain will rise on the Lancaster Country Day theater troupe’s production of “Tartuffe” at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 1-3, with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, Nov. 3. Advance tickets are $7 and available here. They will be $10 at the door.

Written in 1664, “Tartuffe” has left a lasting impression on both French and English, with the name of its main character entering the lexicon as a byword for a religious hypocrite or someone who puts on ostentatiously virtuous airs.

“Tartuffe is a piece of work,” Wolanin said, going easy on the play’s titular pious fraud, who cons and swindles and attempts to corrupt every other character in the play. “He’s selling salvation and the rest of the characters so blindly believe that this guy is their salvation. Until they’re forced to learn otherwise.”

In bringing to life a story written in another language more than three and a half centuries ago, the cast faced a daunting challenge, but the main difficulty came neither from the translation nor cultural distance. What makes “Tartuffe” particularly tricky to perform in a naturalistic way is that the entire play is composed in rhyming couplets.

“Getting the rhythm of the dialogue right has been probably the hardest part for everybody, but when they get there and it just flows and they’re comfortable with it, it’s beautiful,” said Wolanin. “I love that it was written in 1664 and still feels timely. And timeless.”

One thing that’s not timeless is fashion, but for this production, Wolanin opted to be true to the period, decking the cast in full Louis XIV-era regalia. To help get the look right, the school partnered with Millersville University for its costumes, which don’t skimp on the powdery wigs or frilly frocks.

A skill that was vital for the actors to master, and that will be just as important for the audience, is listening closely. While someone in the course of regular talking could speak in iambic pentameter without it sounding stilted, the odds of that person communicating in extemporaneous rhyming couplets are decidedly slimmer.

But Wolanin promises that the audience’s close listening will be rewarded.

“I want people to come away thinking about whether they’re being Tartuffed somehow,” Wolanin said. “It might make people squirm. But funny squirming.”

“Tartuffe,” 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 1-3, with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, Nov. 3. Advance tickets are $7 and available here. They will be $10 at the door.

As the fall sports season comes toward the finish line, five varsity teams have secured berths in the postseason, whether in League or District play, and two others could achieve the same with a strong finish to the regular season and some helpful losses from their League competitors. Below is a thorough team-by-team summary compiled by Director of Athletics Zac Kraft.

The Girls’ Tennis team ended the regular season with an overall record of 10-1, 5-1 in L-L League Section 4 (second place). The Cougars lost to Lampeter Strasburg in the first round of the L-L League Team Tournament. The Cougars (No. 4 Seed) qualified for the District III Team Tournament and will face Delone Catholic (No. 5 Seed) in the first round today. Individually, Cassidy G. ’21 placed fourth in the L-L League 2A Singles Tournament, and, along with Kendall K. ’19, qualified for the District III Singles Tournament which will begin Friday at Hershey Racquet Club.

The Golf team finished the regular season with an overall record of 22-8, 19-6 in L-L League Section 3 (second place). Matt B. ’19 and Nick H. ’19 finished second and third, respectively, in Section 3 scoring average. At the L-L League Individual Championships at Conestoga Country Club Sept. 24, Matt (t-ninth) Nick (t-15th) and Phoebe S. ’22 (11th) earned medals and qualified for the PIAA District III Championships at Briarwood Golf Club. Nick placed fourth (+11 over two days), Berkenstock 10th (+18) in the 2A Boys and Stover placed fifth in the 2A girls. Nick and Phoebe advanced to the PIAA Regional Qualifier Monday, Oct. 15 at Golden Oaks Golf Club in Berks County.

The Girls’ Soccer team is currently 7-8 overall, 4-8 in L-L League Section 4 (fifth place) with two non-league games remaining on the schedule. The Cougars will miss out on the L-L League Playoffs, but have quailed for the PIAA District III Single A Tournament which will begin Monday, October 22.

The Boys’ Soccer team finished the regular season 12-4-1 overall, 9-3 in L-L League Section 4 (third place). The Cougars will miss out on the L-L League Playoffs, but have qualified for the PIAA District III Single A Tournament, and will host a Quarterfinal Round game Wednesday, Oct. 24.

The Field Hockey team is currently 10-6-1 overall, 9-5-1 in L-L League Section 3 (fifth place). The Cougars will miss out on the L-L League Playoffs, and must win their regular season finale at home vs. ELCO on Friday to have a chance at qualifying for the PIAA District III Single A Tournament.

The McCaskey Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams finished the regular season 7-3 and 5-5, respectively, and will now begin preparations for the L-L League Championships Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Ephrata Middle School, District III Championships Oct. 27 at Big Spring High School and PIAA State Championships Nov. 3 in Hershey. Arielle B. ’21 is ranked among the top female runners in the League.

The LCHS Girls’ Volleyball Team is currently 9-5 overall, 6-3 in L-L League Section 3 (third place) with three matches remaining. With a strong finish, the Crusaders could qualify for the L-L League and PIAA District III playoffs.

Experience the story of Spirit Week through the lenses of Cougar News Photography Interns Hayden F. ’20, Arielle B. ’21, and seniors Carly C. and Mason L. Their teacher, Donna Wilcox, was a fellow visual raconteur, chronicling Take A Child Outside Week. We would also like to thank Dr. Trout, Mrs. Trout and Mr. Lisk for contributing photos. Finally, we doff our hats to the senior class, who did primary colors proud by wearing red to victory in Color Wars 2018.

Post navigation

About Us

Cougar News is an online publication that provides news about Lancaster Country Day School, an independent, college-preparatory school that combines a rigorous curriculum with a supportive and encouraging faculty to ensure that every preschool-12th grade student receives the best education available.